BMW’s New M760i Offers Limousine Luxury—Plus Performance

The BMW M760i isn’t an M7, but it’s the last word in performance luxury from BMW
BMW photo

By

Jim Motavalli

July 2, 2018 5:29 p.m. ET

Automakers are learning that they leave money on the table when they limit their lineup’s top end. There are always buyers who want the most exclusive car available and are willing to pay for it.

“People will always buy as much car as they can afford,” billionaire car dealer and entrepreneur Red McCombs told Penta.

For BMW, this means, among other things, creating performance versions of the big 7-Series. The Alpina B7 is available, powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 that produces 600 horsepower. That rip-roaring motor is stuffed into a xDrive sedan, with a starting price of US$137,995. But it’s still just a V-8.

If you want more, how about a V-12 7-Series? That’s the US$156,700 M760i, also with all-wheel xDrive, launched as a 2017 model. It would be funny to talk about a bargain at these prices, but the BMW is more than US$70,000 cheaper than the similarly performance-oriented Mercedes S65 AMG.

Options can add up, of course. As outfitted, our test car was US$181,075. The price included US$5,200 for matt-finish Frozen Brilliant White Metallic paint, US$3,400 for the 16-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, and another US$1,700 for the Driver Assistance Plus safety package.

Consider the might suggested by adding twin turbocharging to 12 cylinders. The output is 601 horsepower, slightly more than the Alpina B7. Both offer 590 pound feet of torque, but the M760i is limited to 155 mph, versus 193 mph for the Alpina. That will change, however, with BMW’s M760i M Driver’s package, allowing the car to reach 190 mph.

The V-8 is certainly a fire breather, but it lacks the 12’s ultra-smoothness. This is a version of the same aluminum motor you’ll find in contemporary Rolls-Royces. The engine soars to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

The good thing is that the M760i still feels like a driver’s car, due to pin-sharp electronic variable steering and firm—not harsh—suspension. It’s basically a limousine, but not one that wallows around corners. There’s one transmission: an eight-speed Steptronic Sport automatic, with a launch control feature for very fast getaways.

The limo comparisons are prompted by a rear seat that sets new luxury standards. In addition to acres of legroom, passengers get adjustable heated and cooled red leather thrones that are a quick reach to controls for DVD and climate. Each passenger has a seven-inch screen, and there’s also a Command touch screen tablet that can be used as a remote in the huge center console between the seats. The car was equipped with the US$1,800 luxury rear seating package, which includes a massage feature, plus US$2,700 for the rear-seat entertainment.

The driver will also have a good time. There are several driving modes, a useful heads-up display, and an infotainment system that—despite having the usual German dial master control—is relatively easy to use. The CD player is useful, and is being retained in luxury cars while it gradually disappears from models downmarket.

The shifter requires a learning process but ultimately is easy to use. One quirk in our test car was the shutting-down process. Sometimes punching the stop button shut everything down, including the stereo, and sometimes it didn’t. Locking with the key fob solved the problem. Also, the CD player sometimes returned to the beginning of a track after a shutdown, and sometimes it didn’t.

Few new cars can truly claim to combine cutting-edge performance and top-end luxury in a single package. With the M760i, BMW aims for that standard, and succeeds.

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